Reel construction



April 12, 1932. LE ROY c. DAVIDGE REEL CONSTRUCTI ON Filed Jan. 30, 1951 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LE ROY C. DAVIDGE, OF HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA REEL CONSTRUCTION Application filed January 30, 1931. Serial No. 512,413.

In this specification, and the accompanying d awings, I shall describe and show a preferred form of my invention, and speclfically mention certain of its more important objects. I do not limit myself to the forms disclosed, since various changes and adaptatlons may be made therein without departmg from the essence of my invention as hereinafter claimed; and objects and advantages, other than those specifically mentioned, are 1ncluded within its scope.

This invention relates to reel constructlon, and particularly to reels that are intended for use in developing and treating photographic films. Among its principal objects are; first, to provide a reel upon which one or more films may be wound under tension and hav ng means whereby, after winding, the tension may be partially or wholly released throughout the whole coil; second, to provlde a reel that permits of winding one or more films thereon and, after winding, of reducing the effective diameter of the drum so that the coil 'can float loosely therearound; third, to provide a reel that embodies a false drum or equivalent construction, co-axlal wlth the reel, upon which one or more film strips may be wound, said drum or equivalent being removable after the coil has been completed; -and,'fourth, to accomplish the above mentioned objects by means of a simple and inexpensive construction.

My objects are attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is an elevation of a reel comprising two spaced spoked wheels having my invention applied thereto, and a pair of film strips wound thereon, certain portions of the spokes of the foremost side of the reel being broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the above construction after my invention has been removed therefrom, showing the position the coil may assume in relation to the reel under these conditions; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one form of spider or false reel drum that may be employed in cooperation with the other structural elements illustrated.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In a joint application filed January 23, 1929 (Serial No. 334,438), by Arthur E. Reeves and myself, we illustrated and described a film developing process and apparatus therefor. Said application set forth means for treating coiled films in liquid baths, and the embodiment illustrated therein showed the same type of spoked reel that has been selected for the purpose of illustrating the present invention. In said joint application, it was mentioned that rotating the reel in one direction tended to tighten the coil windings, and that rotation in the other direction tended to loosen them. It was therefore recommended, for this reason and others, that the direction of rotation of the reel should be periodically reversed while the films thereon are being treated. I have now discovered that, by the use of the device constituting the present invention, it is unnecessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the reel, and that equally satisfactory results can be attained when the P reel is rotated in one direction only. This gives an advantage in the saving of time, and in securing a somewhat greater uniformity of development or treatment of the film. It also has the further advantage that all portions of the film strips are relieved from tension during treatment.

My present invention consists in supplying a false and removable coil-carrying means that cooperates with the other elements of a reel, upon which a coil may be wound, and which may be removed from the reel after the coil is formed. Such removal has the immediate effect of loosening the coil upon the reel, and of removing all mechanical tension imposed these carry impeller blades 12.

upon the coil itself in winding. In the case of a film coil, it leaves the film in better form for treating in liquid baths or otherwise.

Where use is made of single sided reels, or of reels having a side that may be separated therefrom, my coil-carrying means may take the form of a cylinder, slatted structure, or equivalent construction. This may be slipped over the drum of the reel for the purpose of forming the coil, and then be removed therefrom by slipping it off the drum longitudinally. In the use of reels having fixed sides, it is necessary that one of these should be perforate for the purpose of utilizing my invention, and the coil-carrying means then necessarily takes the form. of. a.slatted str11cture, of which the slats extend through the perforate side. The essence of the invention therefore resides in a coil-carrying means that efiectively increases the diameter of the reelzdnum for the purpose of forming the coil, and that may then be removed, from the reel to leave the coil loosely surrounding the true drum of the reel.

The embodiment of my invention that I have selected for the purpose of this disclosure comprises the same type of, reel structure shown and described in said joint application. This consists of a pair of spaced spoked wheels 8, mounted upon a common shaft 9, and includes a central drum or hub 10, extending between the wheels and co-axial with the shaft. The spokes of the wheels are indicated at 11 and, in the type of reel shown, The latter are disposed at proper angles with the planes of the respectivewheels, so as to cause them to force the liquid of treating baths between. the layers of the coiled film, when the latter are. spaced. The spacing of the leaves of the film.may be accomplished in various ways, as by the use of the spacingstrip 13 having protuberances. on both. sides thereof. This spacing strip is wound upon the reel with the film 15 that is to be treated, and servestov space the coils of the latter.

The form of my invention illustrated here in includes a spider having a circular disc 16 with a central hole 17, through which the "shaft. 9 may be passed andwhich snugly fitsv the shaft. A plurality of slats 18 are attached at one end to the periphery. of the disc, and extend therefrom parallel to its axis. The diameter of disc 16 is the same or very "slightly larger than that of drum 10, and

slats 18 are so spaced that they may be inserated between spokes 11, as illustratedin Fig. 1. When thus inserted, the inner sides of the slats will be in contact with the pcthe wheel with slight. clearance, thusmaintaining the angular position of the spider, with reference to the drum of the reel.

With the spider positioned upon the reel drum as just described, one or more film strips may be wound thereon in the usual manner. WVhen the winding is completed, the spider may be pulled out of the film coil parallel to its axis, and leave the coil spaced from the reel drum. This immediately neutralizes mechanical tension on all parts of the film strip, and, if the inner and outer ends of the films are fastened to adjacent layersof. the coil, there will be no possibility. oftlm coil becoming tightened or loosened as the result of revolving the reel continuously in either direction. If; thewoundwreel has its axis horizontal, the film coil will assume the position, with respect to the drum, that is 111115- tratedin Fig. 2, as the result of gravity. In this position the coil as a whole will revolve at-a slightly lesss eedthanthat of the reel, by reasonof the itference betweenthedi ameter ofthe drum ,andtheeffective diameten of theint-erior of." thecoil. Thishas the-ad.- vantage that the impeller blades.12,prpgree sively change their positions withrespecttq; the coil, thereby constantly changingthe cirs culating paths of the-treating l quid-that is forcedthereby tran v y, between he-film coils. This willhave abemfieialefi'ect. upon. the uniformity of treatmentofthe thus-coiled films inJiquid baths.

It willbe obviou fromthe foregpingthat I have vsucceededin .producingavery s mple device that will be foundwto be advantageous. in securing functional results that. hitherto. could not be attained to-the.extentthattliig. invention makes, possible. Among suchme sults are: the neutralization of tension due towindingacoil; theprevention of tighteningor. loosening; the coil as result of. revolving its reel in: one direction; andthe constant change of location ingtransr verse flow paths .of, treatingliquid, when film, coils are employed With-the'improvedtypeof, reel described.

Having thus. fully describedmy invention, I claim i In combination with a. reel. having, a... shaft with a protrudingend, and a .,oo.:axi a1v drum upon the shaft, unitarycoil carryin means comprising; a perforate disk co afxiafi with and centered bysaidshfaft, andlhaving a diameter substantially equal'to. thedialneter of the drum; andslats aflixedto thepe? riphery of the disk and extending long'j tudinally there-from over the peripheryof the drum.

2.'In combination witha reelhaving-a perforate. side member, a shaft with; an end protruding. beyond theside member, and arosaxial 'drulnupon the shaft, unitarycoil-carry ing means; comprising;, a perforate disk through which said shaft-extends,- and having; a diameter substantially. equal 3 to: that of:

the drum; and slats aflixed to the periphery of the disk and extendin longitudinally therefrom through the per orate side memher and over the periphery of the drum.

3. In combination with a reel consisting of spoked spaced wheels, a drum extending between the wheels, and a shaft with a protruding end, unitary coil-carrying means comprising; a disk having a central hole through which said shaft extends, and a diameter substantially equal to that of the drum; and slats afiixed to the periphery of the disk and extending longitudinally therefrom between the spokes of one of said wheels and over the periphery of said drum.

LE ROY C. DAVIDGE. 

